Scrubbing-machine.



R. L. SESSOM.

SGRUBBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rams, 1911.

1 ,O30,335, Patented June 25, 1912.

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ANDGRAPH CO" WASHINGTON, D. C, I

COLUMBIA PL R. L. SESSOM.

SORUBBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD IEB.28, 1911.

1,030,335. 3 Patented June 25,1912.

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wwnwm Mm ROBERT L. SESSOM, OF TI-IYATIRA, MISSISSIPPI.

SCRUBBING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed 'February'28, 1911.

- Patented June 25, 1912.

Serial No. 611,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. SnssoM, citizen of the United States, residing at Thyatira, in the county of Tate and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iii ScrubbingMw chines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to scrubbing ma chines and has for its object the provislon of a machine of simple and durable con struction, capable of being readily moved from place to place and by means of which a floor or other surface may be thoroughly scrubbed with very little labor or exertion on the part of the operator.

A further object is to provide improved means for yieldingly supporting the brush of the machine in contact with the floor or other surface being operated upon, whereby lateral strains upon the operating crank of the driving shaft of the machine will be relieved to a considerable extent, said brushsupport-ing devices being so arranged that they may be easily moved to and held in an inoperative position, so that the machine will take up less space when not required for use than when it is operating.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices, so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a scrubbing machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the brush being shown in full lines in lowered position and in dotted lines in elevated or inoperative position; Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved scrubbing machine forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises a substantially rectangular supporting frame 5 preferably formed of angle iron and having its front end open and its rear end closed, as shown. Mounted on the front end of the frame 5, is an axle 6 havin its intermediate portion bent laterally to orm an arched frame or yoke 7 and its opposite ends extended laterally beyond the adjacent side walls of the frame 5 to pro- Vide supports on which are mounted for rotation ground wheels 8.

Secured in any suitable manner to the spokes of the wheels 8, are gear wheels 9, which latter mesh with pinions 10 mounted on the opposite ends of a driving shaft 11. The driving shaft 11 isjournaled in suitable bearings 12 depending from the side bars of the supporting frame and is provided with a crank arm 13 to which is pivotally connected at 14, a plunger 15. The free end of the plunger 15 projects longitudinally through the open end of the frame 5 and is provided with a brush or other scrubbing element, indicated at 16. Secured to the outer end of the plunger 15, is a clip 17 having an eye 18, in which is seated a pin 19 secured to the back of the brush 16, thus to permit pivotal movement of the brush with respect to said plunger.

Arranged at the rear of the yoke 7 are spaced transverse bars 20 having their opposite ends bolted or otherwise secured to the flanges of the angle iron constituting the frame 5, said. bars forming a support for a tank or other liquid container 21. Depending from the bottom of the tank 21, is a short pipe, sect-ion, to which is connected a conductor 22 extendinglongitudinally of the frame 5 and provided with a terminal nozzle 23, for spraying water on the floor in the path of movement of the brush 16.

A valve 24 is inserted in the conductor 22 near the bottom of the tank 21 and is provided with an actuating rod 25 having a terminal finger piece, by means of which the valve may be operated to control the flow of Water to the scrubbing element. Depending from the bottom of the supporting frame near the rod 25, is a bracket 26 on which is swiveled a caster wheel 26, said caster wheel, as well as the ground wheels 8, being provided preferably with a rubber tire so as not to scratch or otherwise mar the surface of the floor when the machine is in operation.

Rigidly secured to the upper end of the tank 21, is an inclined brace 27 having its lower portion bifurcated to form spaced arms 28 for attachment to the yoke 7. As a cured to said plunger.

means for yieldably supporting the bristles of the brush 16 in contact with the floor or other surface being operated upon, there is provided a flat spring 29 having its upper end pivotally mounted at 30 on a clip 31 secured to the inclined brace 27 and its lower end bent to form a lip 32 adapted to enter a recess 33 in the upper surface of the plunger 15.

The rear end of the truck is preferably provided with an operating handle 34 to facilitate moving the truck from place to place. The spring 29 and brace 31 are provided with threaded openings for the recep-' tion of a screw 35, by means of which the tension of said spring mayv be regulated at will. When the machine is not in use, the screw 35 is released and the spring 29 swung upwardly on its pivotal axis 30 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, after which the plunger 15 is also moved upwardly to inoperative position, and in which position both the spring and plunger may be supported by means of a hook or similar fastening device 36 mounted on the tank and engaging a loop or eye se- Suitable rods 37 are pivotally connected with the head of the brush on opposite sides .of the plunger 15 and provided with hooks adapted to engage loops or eyes on the plunger for the purpose of preventing pivotal movement of the brush, when desired.

It will here be noted that the arched frame or yoke 7 is disposed entirely within the lines of the frame 5, while the disposition of the arms 28 is such as to permit free rotary movement of the crank 13 without coming in. contact therewith.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it

will be understood that as the truck is moved over a floor or other smooth surface, motion will be transmitted'from the wheels 8 through the medium of the gears 9 and the floor during the reciprocation of said brush by means of the spring 29, as before stated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

.1. A scrubbing machine, including a truck, a plunger, a scrubbing device carried by the plunger, a drive shaft provided with a crank operatively connected to the plunger to reciprocate the same, means for actuating said drive shaft, a spring having one end detachably bearing upon and pressing downwardly on said plunger, a support to which the other end of said spring is pivotally connected, and means for detachably connecting said spring intermediate of its ends to said support, whereby the spring may be held in an operative position against the plunger, or be swung outwardly to an in-- operative position, so as to permit the plunger to be also swung upwardly and rearwardly to an inoperative position.

2. A scrubbing machine, including a truck, a plunger, a scrubbing element carried by the plunger, a liquid receiving tank mounted on the truck, a brace connected to the tank and truck and extending forwardly and downwardly from the former to the latter, a drive shaft provided with a crank to which the plunger is operatively connected, a spring pivotally connected at one end to said brace to swing outwardly and clownwardly thereon, said spring normally extending forwardly and downwardly from the brace, and detachably bearing down upon the plunger, and a tension screw detachably connecting said spring to the brace below the pivot point of the spring, whereby, upo-n the detachment of said screw, the

spring and plunger may be swung upwardly and rearwardly to rest in an inoperative position upon the tank.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. SESSOM. [L. s.] Witnesses: Y

SAM H. Snssou, GRAHAM ELLIES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

